Hi Girls!!!!!

It has been a while, right? ;oD
I've enjoyed my summer holiday back in Italy in June and July (just one week was spent in Edinburgh : beautiful and cold!!!!) and the boys, the hubby and I were back in Maputo at the beginning of August, as the school was starting again the 11th….
 So we are all back to our routines : boys in school, hubby at work and I back to my blog!!!!

We have just moved in our 3rd apartment here in Maputo ( yes 3 moves in one year!!!!) and maybe for this reason my blogging will have some hiccups in the next couple of weeks … you know some boxes need to be unpacked…. well, you know what I mean!

I just wanted to show you today some crocheted gifts I made this summer in Italy : are you interested??? Hope so !!!!

At the end of July it was the birthday of my niece Mara, so she was born under the Leo zodiac sign…
In the same days there was the brutal killing of Cecil, the majestic lion of Zimbabwe…
so this is what I made, thinking at both of them, Mara and Cecil …

Then, was my mum turn, just because I love her and she really needed a market bag to take along with her every day…

I made even a winter cowl for my sister Varinia (who really loves the sea and sandy beaches), so when she will ride on her bike in the cold days she will be warm and cosy with her neck wrapped in her "seaside cowl"… do you think the same, too ?

They are all my designs and the inspiration just came in a dash …. Honestly happy with all the above works and luckily even the recipients were glad to receive them, too!!!

Soon other crocheted things made in the same period!!!

xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Link Your Stuff!, Busy Fingers Showing Off #97 and Craft Schooling Sunday

..... Ooooops !!!!

Sorry girls !!!

We landed (I, Matteo and Tobia) one week ago in Milano, so we are in Italy for our summer holidays!!!!
We have had a lot to do in these last days, but the reason I didn't write any post yet is due to the apparent death of my laptop.....
Not nice!!! I'm waiting for good news from the technician who is handling my computer, as I'm desperate to share the wrist warmers photo tutorial!!!
Please  be patient and take care !!!

xxxx Alessandra
6

Beauty is where you find it #48 : Bike Love!!!

Sorry to say that I don't have new pics of the surroundings at the moment, because is quite impossible to walk outside in these days : heavy heavy rain, my dears!!!
A lots of streets in JK are flooded and people are evacuated from their homes....
We are safe, but it's quite boring around here....
For the theme of the day, I've decided to group together some photos taken both in Parma (Italy) and in Jk....

I hope to make you happy Nic !!!!
It's not that I'm lazy, but still don't have fins and gills!!! ;oD

xxxx Alessandra

Beauty is where you find it #34 : homeland

Wow! Somehow it's an hard task.....And I'm gonna to tell you why!
I was born in Italy, in Florence, from both Italian parents. So I am Italian. Sure.
When I was 10 months old, my family moved to Canada, to be more precise : Calgary, Alberta.
We spent there my first 6 years of my life!!! In the meantime, my two youngest sisters were born there, too!
We went back to Italy, Milano, right in time to start the primary school! So I start to read and write in Italian. I told you : I'm Italian!
When 9 years old, my family moved again!!! This time : Tripoli, Libia. We lived there until I was 14!!!
After that, we went back to Italy, Milano, again.
In Milano, I completed my studies, with my degree in Geology.
In 1997, I got married and I moved to a little town, Salsomaggiore Terme, close to Parma. In the meanwhile, Paolo and I, both Italians, had our boys, Matteo and Tobia, both born in Italy, so they are Italians, too!
In 2004, as a family, we moved to Cairo, Egypt, where both my kids started to attend a British International School. We stayed in Cairo till July 2010. Then we moved to Jakarta, where we are right now. My boys are still attending a British International School.
I use my Italian language to talk to my husband, some Italian friends in Jk and on Skype with my family. I use the same language to relate with my kids, too. But here starts the funny part. My two boys, often answer me back in English...They play (and fight!) together in English...Sometimes they use Italian, when they realize that I'm too tired to follow their English, moreover at dinner time....waking up every morning at 5:30, at a certain time I don't have anymore the concentration for English...I need to switch to Italian...!!!
All this to tell you what? Simply that I didn't spend all my life in Italy, but just only a part of that. I know that I'm Italian, but in a different way. When I'm back in Italy for the holidays, I know that I'm at home, but I'm not Italian 100%. I'm an expat wherever I go. When I'm abroad, like in JK, I'm more Italian than at home, back in Italy. I don't know how to express better this feeling, but this is it!!

...Probably, I have more than one homeland as you can see : Italia, Canada, Libia, Egypt, Indonesia... what will be next????

I link today to luzia pimpinella !!

xxxx, Alessandra

P.S. : my Blog Birthday Giveaway is still on!!! For more details have a look here ! Grazie!! ;oD

And the day before yesterday.....

....we spent some time together a family of british friends, known when we were still in Egypt, in the fresh waters of the Arda torrent and later in their home garden, where the boys had fun with some archery...

When dinner time arrived, we jumped on ours car with the intention to reach a pizzeria for some good pizzas and pasta....and desserts, too!!! Yummy!!!

After finishing our dinner, on the road back home I asked my husband to stop the car....An huge purple olympic flag was attached to a house gate, with some hand written posters of congratulations....

....Yes, we stopped in front of Marco Aurelio Fontana's home, our olympic champion (bronze medal) in cycling mountain bike men's cross country!!!! He won his medal with great honor, as you can see in the following video...

Well, honestly, I was happy as only kids can be!!!

P.S. : Today we are leaving to go back to Jakarta!!!! A long journey in front of us!!! I hope to be able to meet you all soon....after jet lag adjustment!!!! ;oD

xxxxxx